Obama’s Rocky Mountain High

Whether you’re a supporter of Barack Obama or not, a Democrat or Republican, black or white, there’s no denying that, as an impressive piece of television, the final night of the Democratic National Convention squarely hit the mark.

The decision to move the acceptance speech (and accompanying festivities) out from under the roof of the relatively cramped Denver arena to the vast outdoor stadium brought a giant gust of fresh air to the proceedings and made the event feel appropriately huge.

I know there had been some skepticism over whether the Dems could fill the spacious home of the Denver Broncos and just think of how rows and rows of empty seats would have looked on TV. But fill it they did and with all the fireworks and confetti, cheering fans and pageantry, you had a Super Bowl-like electricity buzzing through the place.

It made for lots of gorgeous pictures — especially those great aerials of the stadium all lit up and gleaming like a diamond in the night. (Blimp shots of an arena roof wouldn’t have been nearly as impressive).

Of course, none of it would have mattered if Obama hadn’t been able to seize the moment and own it. But he delivered a powerful and moving speech about political reform and the desire to guide “a compassionate America.” And like a great stage actor who knows the importance of ending on a high note, he saved his references to Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech for last.

It was a soul-stirring exclamation point on a remarkble made-for-TV extravaganza.